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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · chair · rush · hand · bear · pitcher · trunk · lie

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chair — a leader
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com